Everyone Should Visit the Trial Gardens at the University of Colorado!

While in Fort Collins, Colorado, you should plan time to walk through the beautiful Trial Gardens on the campus of the University of Colorado.

It is well worth the trip if you like flowers because they have plenty of beautiful flowers for you to experience.

Here you see a red or ruby Begonia flower. These are all pretty standard house or garden plants available in the U. S.

Here is an example of a Pink variety of Begonia. One of the cool things about a Trial Garden is you get to see new varieties that have been produced by plant breeders to bring new shapes and colors.

This is a new variety of Begonia called Fragrant Falls Peach. Notice how different the flower is from standard Begonias.

In this image you can see two varieties of Coleus. This plant is prized for its colorful leaves. On the left of the image you can see a Coleus variety that is like the ancestral plant, all green on its leaves. Next to it is a variety called Flamethrower Serrano. It has mostly red leaves with thin green margins.

In this image you can see a Coleus variety called Flamethrower Salsa Roja which has all red leaves.

Here we have another type of Coleus called Flamethrower Chipotle where the red in the center of the leaves is reduced and is replaced by a thicker green zone at the leaf margin.

By controlling which plants are pollinated by which plants, breeders can encourage the production of Coleus offspring with the traits they desire. As a result, we get new beautiful new versions of plants for decorating our homes and gardens.

The Trial Gardens at the University of Colorado are a worthwhile experience for anyone traveling through the area during the summer. They have everything from Begonias to Zinnias. Plus, this remarkable collection can be seen for the price of a walk through their beautiful gardens!